Thomas r



(No Model.)

T. R. PIXTON.

' BELL.

No. 451,770. Patented May 5,1891.

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THOMAS R. PIXTON, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,770, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed November 29, 1890. Serial No. 373,003. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. PIXTON, a subject of the Queen of England, residing in Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain Improvements in Bells, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to improvements in bells of the quick-stroke vibrating-ringer variety, suitable for any use where a continuous alarm is desirable, and has for its object to provide a cheap and reliable bell in which the same mechanism may be set going either by a push-button, a lever, or a pull on a string; and it consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of the case containing the operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a similar View, but with the front plate of the case removed, showing the operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side view taken on the side indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top View. Fig. 5 is a side view of the lever for setting the mechanism, in motion shown in front view in Fig. 1. Fig.6 is a bottom plan viewof the push-button as shown by the line 2 .2, Fig. 1. Fig. '7 is an enlarged perspective view of the operating cam and lever.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the details of the drawings,A represents the front plate, and B the back plate, of the case.

C shows the upper posts connecting the plates A and B of the case, and C the lower post. A

F indicates a shaft journaled in the upper part of the stem of the plates A and B, and loosely mounted thereon is the gear-wheel f. A pawl m is pivoted to one of the spokes of the gear f, and is held in engagement with the ratchet M by the spring m, rigidly secured to the shaftF. The gear-Wheel f meshes with a lantern-wheel g, mounted on a shaft G, located to the right of and above the shaft F. On the shaft G is also mounted a gear-wheel g, which again meshes with a lantern-wheel h, carriedon a shaft H, journaled almost directly above the shaft F. On the shaft H is again mounted a gear-wheel h, which meshes with a lantern-wheel a, mounted on the shaft I, situated to the left and above the shaft F v and carrying the cam 11. The cam z" is engaged in an elongated loop j, formed in the inner end of a lever J, rigidly secured to a rock-shaft K, placed to the left of the shaft I. The other end of the lever has a clapper k connected with it, which in vibrating is brought into contact with the gong L and sounds the same. The gong shown in the drawings is simply placed in the position it occupies for the purpose of illustration, as it may be located in any desirable position, or it may be made to entirely cover the whole case containing the bell mechanism.

S represents a spring coiled about the shaft F and having one end fastened thereto, the other and outer end passing down and being secured to the post 0, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This spring is wound up by turning the key-post w, forming an extension of the shaft F, during which operation the other parts of the machinery remain stationary by reason of the connection of the gear-Wheel f with the shaft F through the pawl and ratchet, as will be readily understood.

After the spring is wound up it acts to turn the cam-shaft I through the gearing before described, in consequence of which the cam t imparts a vibrating motion to the lever J and the bell-clapper carried by it. This construction has a number of advantages over the escape-wheel and pallet generally used for this purpose. The action of the machinery is smooth and continuous, avoiding the jarring and shocks produced on the Whole mechanism by the use of the escape-Wheel and pallet, there is lessfriction between the cam and the sides of the loop than between the escapewheel and the arms of the pallet, and the machinery is less liable to get-out of order, and there is less wear.

Nindicates a stop pivotally connected with the stud a, fixed in the inner face of the plate B. This stud is located above all the shafts and between the shafts G and H. The free end of the stop extends towardand in its normal position intercepts the path of a pin 1?, projecting from the shaft I, being held in that position by the projecting end of aspringn', The lower edge of coiled about the stop N.

the stop is beveled on the side adjacent to the plate B, as shown at 1), Fig. 6. Above the stop N and between the stud n and shaft I an angle-plate n is secured to the plate B, which extends inward over the stop, and is then bent so as to form a flange, which passes down inside of it, as shown in Fig. 4. Beneath the stop there is a push-button 0, having its bearings in the plate B and the dependent portion of the plate n The button has a boss P formed on its stem, the inner end of which is conical in shape. \Vhen the button is pressed inward, it engages the bevel 13 and forces the stop upward out of the path of the pin 4?, thus permitting the force exerted by the spring S to act on the intermediate gearing and cause the shaft I, carrying the cam 2', to revolve. Upon removing the pressure pushing the button inward the spring 02' again throws the stop in the path of the pin i and the action of the force exerted by the spring is stopped. If preferable, the push-button may be omitted and a pull-cord Q attached to the stop N, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 6, to disengage the stop from the pin.

In Figs. 1 and 5 is shown a modified form of stop. This consists of a lever R, pivotally mounted in a post 4- on the outer face of the plate A. The outer end of the lever is provided with a finger-rest r, and the inner end is bent inward to form a prong t, which passes through an opening T in the plate A, and when in its normal position engages a pin t, projecting from the lantern wheel 71. The prong t is held in engagement with the pin t by a spring r riveted to the face of plate A and bearing against the outer end of the lever B to force that end outward. The engagement and disengagement ofthe lever B with the pin 25' produces the same effect as the engagement and disengagement of the pushbutton 0 with the pin t An advantage in this invention is that the gearing and operating mechanism can be kept in stock constructed to apply any one of the three ways of operating when a bell is to be put in use, thus avoiding the expense of keeping on hand sets of mechanism of each construction for operating.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bell, the combination, with an actuating device, of a shaft having a boss eccentrically mounted or formed thereon, a lever f ulcrumed on a rock-shaft and having one end bearing upon the periphery of said boss, and a clapper attached to the other end of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a bell, the combination, with an actuating device, of a cam-shaft engaged with said gearing, a lever fulcrumed on a rockshaft, a loop in one end of said lever engaged by the cam, and a clapper attached to the other end of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a bell, the combination, with an actuating device, of a cam-shaft engaged thereby, a lever fulcrumed on a rock-shaft and having one end engaged by the cam, a clapper attached to the other end of the lever, a pin formed on the cam-shaft, a movable stop engaged with said pin, and means for actuating said stop, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a bell, the combination, with springactuated gearing, of a lever fulcrumed on a rock-shaft, a cam -shaft engaged with said gearing, a loop in one end of said lever engaged by the earn, a clapper attached to the other end of the lever, a pin formed on the cam-shaft, a movable stop engaged with said pin, and means for actuating said stop, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a bell, the combination, with an actuating device, of a cam-shaft engaged thereby, a lever f ulcrumed on a rock-shaft and having one end engaged by the cam, a clapper attached to the other end of the lever, a pin projecting from the cam-shaft, a pivoted stop engaged with said pin, a spring adapted to hold the stop in engagement with the pin, and means for disengaging the stop from said pin, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a bell, the combination, with a shaft I, having a pin projecting therefrom, of a stop pivoted on a stud and engaged with said pin, a push-button having a conical boss constructed to engage a bevel in the edge of the stop and disconnect the same from the pin,

and a spring coiled about the stud and having one end bearing on the stop to hold it in engagement with the pin, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

THOS. R. PIXTON. IVitnesses:

J. K. RAD, WM. R. GERHART. 

